English Wine Week at Longbow Venues | Interview with Hattersley Wines
Is English Sparkling Wine Ripe for a Stand-Off with Champagne?
To celebrate English wine, we’re offering £10 off a bottle of Henners at each Longbow Venue; The Maynard, The Ashford Arms and The George Hathersage.
This week, from Saturday, June 15 to Sunday, June 23, it’s English wine week. England has been making honeyed wine for centuries in monasteries on our fair shore. However, a rise in vineyard planting and nurturing since the 1980s, coupled with the change in climate across England, particularly on the southern coast, has meant there’s been a renaissance in English wine production.
At Longbow Venues, we partner with local wine experts and suppliers, Hattersley Wines. John, Sarah and the team at Hattersleys are so well connected to vineyards all over the world and go above and beyond to ensure the sustainability and quality of the wines they recommend and supply. The team visit vineyards all over the globe and establish strong connections with the growers and producers of niche international wineries.
One such winery is much closer to home and only a few hours away by car – Henners Vineyard. Based in Herstmonceux, next to the Pevensey Levels Nature Reserve and less than 5 miles from the sea in East Sussex, the Henners vineyard is located in one of the driest, sunniest pockets of southern England.
John, from Hattersley Wines, sat down with us to educate us on the merits of English wine and let us know why Henners is a must-try sparkling brut this English Wine Week.
‘Henners brut fizz is fabulous. It’s not ostentatious like Champagne. It’s not set above its station and is for everyone to drink. For us, it’s definitely the wine of the moment. It’s easy drinking, it’s fuss-free and if it were to be a person, I’d describe it as that confident, reliable friend who is always a laugh.’
‘Henners Vineyard is led by Collette O’Leary who is highly regarded in British and European wine making. She’s the hands-on winemaker who is pruning through to bottling, hand applying tabs on bottles all the way through to overseeing marketing and PR.’
‘Collette has been all over the world, perfecting her winemaking craft. She’s collaborated with wine makers from Chile, Argentina, Spain and France including one of the winemakers on the team who started their career in Champagne.’
‘This expertise, coupled with the change in the UK climate is making people stand up and take notice of Henners. On the whole, English wine is rising in popularity. The sparkling wine in particular really is a contender against Champagne.’
‘If you’ve ever travelled across the British channel, you will have seen the white cliffs of Dover. Now, the soil structure of those cliffs contains Kimmeridge clay. That clay and sediment goes right under the Channel, down under France and all the way to Champagne. So our English vineyards on the Southern coast are drawing down from a similar mineral profile to the vineyards in Champagne.’
‘In Champagne, their rising temperatures are causing issues for the vineyards. Champagne needs cool, long grown grapes in the right climate and the recent fluctuations in the weather really compromise that. On the flip side, the increase in temperature in southern England puts the English vineyards in good shape to go toe to toe with Champagne for taste, texture, complexity and quality of the wine being produced.’
‘Obviously, Champagne is the stalwart and has been around for centuries with bottles being produced in the millions. English sparkling wines to rival Champagne are so young and new in comparison. But if it’s comparison you’re after and you’re looking for a light, crisp, clean and zippy sparkling white or rose English wine, give Henners a try.’
Try Henners English Sparkling Wine for Less This English Wine Week
This English Wine Week, in collaboration with Hattersley Wines and Henners we’re offering Henners by the glass. Usually served by bottle only, we want everyone to have a chance to taste this delightful English fizz and learn more about wines produced in the UK.
You can get a glass of Henners for £8.99 (not normally sold by the glass so give it a try!)
Or why not get £10 off a 75cl and pay just £50 for a bottle of delicious Henners at The Maynard, The Ashford Arms and The George.
Offer valid until Sunday, June 23, 2024.
For more information on Henners, please visit www.hennersvineyard.co.uk
Book a Table & Enjoy Henners with Food
Click the following links to book a table at;
You can also join us at the bar at any of our venues without booking a table for food to enjoy Henners this English Wine Week.
